It's been 20 years or so since I've been here. So much has changed since the analog days and listening to my favorite midair. Trying to get back into it and am looking at a SDS100 for local pd and f. Would like to hear our state police also. Can't seem to collect the right info I need as far as which add-ons do I need in order to hear everything especially Bloomingdale in Passaic and Riverdale in Morris County. I dont mind spending close to a grand but would like to be assured I will be able to hear our local stations. Would deeply approve guidance being I am totally in the dark with all the new technology.
Welcome back to the area! A lot has changed here, not just radio wise, but building/landscape wise.
For listening, Pompton Lakes and Riverdale have 471.800 115 analog. Shared channel. Dispatched separately, but same channel.
Bloomingdale 3 years ago, moved to DMR. They were with Pompton and Riverdale, and still have access to that channel, for interops, or backup, but day-to-day is on their DMR system that’s in the DB.
Pompton Lakes still dispatches Bloomingdale overnight, 12-8, but even still, you’ll need Bloomingdale’s DMR to hear that.
Fire departments:
Bloomingdale Fire has moved to DMR, also. However, their dispatch tones(only tones) are still on 46.42 110.9. You’ll need to be pretty close to hear that, in my findings that signal doesn’t get out too far. For anything else besides tones, you’ll need DMR.
Pompton Lakes Fire, has their UHF channel in the DB. Used for dispatch, and operations. Analog at this time.
All other local towns, besides Pequannock and Kinnelon(both DMR), are still analog: Ringwood, West Milford, Wanaque, Butler. To name a few. All in the DB and correct. Oakland is on the state NJICS system, but still have a patch to their LB PD channel. Wayne PD October of last year has encrypted all their PD talk groups on their P25 system. So if you choose to listen to them, fire, EMS, or their SPEN I/O TG’s only.
State Police, their 800mhz system is officially finished. It was decommissioned and taken offline over summer. You’ll be programming the NJICS 7/800 mhz system in the database. Listening to them is based off of your location, essentially. Assuming you live up here in the area, you’ll want to program in the Passaic County Simulcast. It will carry them, and all other TG’s that come in over the site(unless you set it to listen to specifics thing you want only).
Any other questions, help, please reach out. I live in the area and know it all pretty well, listening wise.
